Broom Filefish

The Broom Filefish (Amanses scopas), also known as the Broom Leatherjacket or Brush-sided Leatherjacket, has a deep, flattened brown body crossed by narrow darker bars. Its soft dorsal and anal fins are pale, while the tail and lips are dark. Mature males have elongated spines along the sides of the tail base, and females have a brushlike patch of bristles in the same area. These features give the species its common name.

This filefish occurs across the Indo-Pacific, from the Red Sea and East Africa through southern Japan and the Great Barrier Reef to the Society and Tuamotu islands. It lives on clear coastal and outer reefs, particularly where coral colonies grow near rubble patches and gutters. It is secretive and often withdraws into large coral colonies when approached. Individuals occur alone or in pairs.

The Broom Filefish is an expert-level coral specialist. It feeds directly on living coral polyps, so long-term care depends on maintaining a supply of suitable living prey as well as a quiet, mature aquarium. Set up the feeding system and confirm an individual’s feeding response before bringing it home.

Quick Care Guide

Care Level: Expert
Minimum Tank Size: 265 gallons
Adult Size: Up to 7.9 inches (20 cm total length)
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet: Carnivore (obligate corallivore)
Reef Safe: No
Region: Indo-Pacific, including the Red Sea
Scientific Name: Amanses scopas

Tank Requirements

Plan on at least 265 US gallons, approximately 1,000 liters, for long-term adult housing. Adults can reach 7.9 inches (20 cm) in total length. This is a conservative planning minimum for a dedicated system with room for shelter and food colonies. Tank volume alone cannot sustain the fish if the coral supply is depleted or unsuitable.

Choose a broad footprint with open routes around the rockwork. Set up shaded ledges, stable shelters, and several accessible areas for suitable feeding colonies. Leave enough space to move or replace colonies without disturbing the fish’s main refuge. Rockwork should be stable and shelter entrances should allow the adult to pass comfortably.

Establish the coral supply before introduction. Maintain live prey colonies in appropriate lighting and flow and have a separate way to grow or replenish them. Position several feeding colonies where the fish can take bites close to cover. Rotate colonies as needed to prevent repeated grazing from stripping the same colony.

Provide good surface movement, oxygenation, and mature biological filtration. Use broad flow around the rockwork, with calmer shelter where the fish can hover. The aquarium needs to support the feeding corals as well as the fish. Track colony condition, tissue loss, and recovery alongside the usual water measurements.

Fit a secure cover and leave access to remove debris and inspect the fish. A new specimen may spend most of its time near an overhang or in branching cover. Observe quietly from a distance and make sure suitable prey is available near the area it actually uses.

Diet and Feeding

The Broom Filefish is a specialized carnivore and an obligate corallivore in the wild. Documented prey includes polyps from Acropora, Pocillopora, and Porites. Offer suitable live coral tissue and observe which colonies the individual actually grazes. The fish needs ongoing access to acceptable prey, and acceptance can vary by coral and individual.

Documented prey includes the following live corals.

• Living coral polyps from suitable Acropora colonies
• Living coral polyps from suitable Pocillopora colonies
• Living coral polyps from suitable Porites colonies

Confirm sustained feeding before purchase. Ask what living coral the fish is taking and check that you can supply it in sufficient quantity. Brief pecking or a single feeding observation gives limited information. Look for repeated grazing over time and track whether the fish maintains body condition.

Maintain multiple feeding colonies and replace them before they are exhausted. Rotate grazing pressure and keep a reserve separate from the fish. Watch the tissue nearest its favored shelter and compare the condition of colonies between checks. A fish that spends the day near coral may still be eating too little.

Reliable long-term substitution with flakes, pellets, frozen seafood, or generalized filefish diets is unestablished. Plan around live coral prey. If the fish stops grazing or loses condition, reassess coral choice, feeding access, and competition promptly.

Temperament and Tankmates

The Broom Filefish is generally shy and peaceful toward unrelated fish. It often relies on nearby coral structure or rock cover to retreat. Choose quiet tankmates that give it access to the feeding colonies and avoid fish that nip fins or patrol every entrance to shelter.

One fish is the simplest arrangement in a dedicated system. Pairs are seen in the wild, but aquarium pairing adds demand for both cover and prey. Observe compatible individuals separately at feeding time if keeping more than one and provide enough established food colonies to support both.

Repeated pursuit, prolonged hiding, and failure to resume grazing can signal an unsuitable stocking arrangement. Add a clear route to cover or separate incompatible fish. Watch body condition as well as visible injuries, because competition can interrupt feeding before it causes obvious damage.

Reef Compatibility

The Broom Filefish is Non Reef Safe. Live coral polyps are its natural food. A conventional ornamental reef with corals intended for display is unsuitable because the fish can repeatedly graze them and cause substantial tissue loss.

Use a dedicated aquarium set up to support feeding corals and have a way to replenish prey as it is consumed. Assess the system’s ability to grow or replace colonies before adding the fish. A bare fish-only setup cannot provide the living coral prey this species is expected to need.

Water Parameters

Temperature: 77–80°F
Specific Gravity: 1.024–1.026
pH: 8.1–8.4
Alkalinity: 8–12 dKH

Use a fully cycled, well-oxygenated system with undetectable ammonia and nitrite. Replace evaporated water with fresh water and match replacement saltwater during water changes. Maintain stable salinity, temperature, and alkalinity for both the fish and its feeding corals.

Check water quality and colony condition after adding food corals or changing flow. Remove loose debris and service filtration routinely. Observe appetite, breathing, and normal cover use as the fish settles, and treat reduced grazing or declining body condition as a reason to review the setup.

Common Considerations

• Adult Housing: Plan for at least 265 US gallons, approximately 1,000 liters, with space for live feeding colonies and adult shelter.
• Coral Diet: Maintain suitable living coral prey. Confirm sustained feeding and track body condition.
• Coral Supply: Keep a separate reserve or dependable replenishment plan and rotate colonies under grazing pressure.
• Tankmates: Choose calm fish that leave access to cover and feeding colonies.
• Reef Risk: The fish eats live coral polyps. Use a dedicated system built around this feeding behavior.
• Handling: Use a suitable rigid container when practical. The dorsal spine and tail-base spines or bristles can catch in fine mesh.